You Wear This Face
by amy1oM
Summary: Post UNQUIET DEAD Rose sees something in the wardrobe prompts her to ask the Doctor a question. *NEW CHAPTER* Rose spends more time in the 3rd Doctor's era!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Takes place immediately after "The Unquiet Dead" in Season 1. Written from a comment_fic prompt of "Doctor Who, Nine/Rose, in my dreams you wear this face".

0o0

Once the TARDIS doors were shut tight Rose went straight to the wardrobe room to return her Victorian dress to its ranks while the set the controls to take them into the Vortex. When she didn't return immediately he began to fudge around underneath the control console, seeing to a repair he had been putting off for far too long.

It was over an hour later when Rose finally returned, and because she didn't see him at first she nearly called out his name until she saw a pair of legs sticking out from under the console. She tried to be patient to wait for him to come out on his own but she knew it'd be awhile considering how engrossed he seem to be in whatever he was doing.

She finally walked over to the legs and carefully sat down besides them softly saying, "Doctor?"

"Just give me a second to finish this," he replied in a preoccupied voice.

Rose was preoccupied herself but something she'd seen in the wardrobe just now. "Doctor, in my dreams you wear this face that isn't yours. It's a daft but friendly face with big teeth and you've got a head full of brown curls. Your clothes are different too, very different and you wear this impossibly long scarf that looks like it should trip you up because never does."

"How do you know it's me in the dream then?" The Doctor had emerged from underneath the console and his blue eyes were now watching her. "Does someone call the bloke you're describing 'Doctor'?"

Rose shrugs, "No, he's never called 'Doctor' in my dreams yet something tell me that it is you in my dreams and when I was in the wardrobe just now I _saw_ that same scarf I see you wearing in my dreams hanging off a rack somewhere."

The Doctor laid his sonic screwdriver aside and got to his feet, holding out his hand to her, "All right show me this scarf you're talking about."

"All right."

They returned to the wardrobe together, and walked several times around the enormous room but Rose never saw the scarf again.

"I _know_ I saw that scarf, Doctor. It was here," she insisted.

"Or maybe you thought you just saw it?" he suggested. "After all a person can't change their face now they they?"

"No, they can't. It's daft to think that they can. I'm sorry I even suggested it."

"'S fine, Rose." He took her hand an began to pull her back towards the console room smiling. "How about I take you home to see your mum? At the very least we need to be sure Rickey made it home safely, eh?"

Even as he spoke the words he thanked the TARDIS for hiding the incriminating woolen object from his former incarnation. Regeneration was a lot to take in and he didn't feel ready or up to the task of explaining it to Rose just yet because he was afraid it would frighten her.

Rose smiled back at him, "Yeah I am missing Mum just a little. And his name is Mickey, not Rickey you silly git!"


	2. Chapter 2

**See** disclaimers in Chapter 1.

0o0

**A/N: **This takes place in between "The Christmas Invasion" and "New Earth".

0o0

"You lied."

They alone were still outside watching as the ash-snow continued falling to the ground. "How do you mean?" The Doctor didn't look at her but keeping his eyes skywards instead.

Rose fingered the tassels on the scarf her mum had brought to her before she had headed back to the warmth inside their flat. "D'you remember after we met Charles Dickens, when I came back from the wardrobe, I asked you about a scarf I'd seen there?"

"Yup," he replied, popping the 'p'. "I remember."

"Do you remember the dreams I told you about then where I was sure it was you in it but you had a different face?"

He nodded, "I also remember you described this person you had seen and I asked you if you heard anyone call him 'Doctor' in your dreams?" He finally looked at her face.

"But you also said no one can change their face and made it sound like I was daft for even implying such a thing," Rose replied.

"Well what I said wasn't exactly a lie. I didn't deny the bloke you described was me. I also didn't deny that I could my face either," The Doctor countered.

"You didn't deny either of those things directly no, but you still lied to me by omission." She watched as he dipped his head finally conceding her point. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

He looked at her, "Because you lot don't always react well to regeneration, neither the concept or the act itself. To my people regeneration is as natural as breathing is to you humans but let someone change their faces and you lot freak out."

"So you decided to let me think I was daft instead?"

He exhaled slowly, his breath visible on the air. "I decided letting you think that was better than telling you and having you leave me. We hadn't long met but even at that point I was afraid I'd lose you, Rose. I was so very tired of being lonely."

Rose had just met this Doctor less than 24 hours before yet she would swear she saw something more than fear or loneliness in his eyes. Years later when she looked back on this conversation and what she saw when she looked into his eyes she knew his eyes were shining with the love he felt for her.

"Are you two going to stand out here all bloody night?" Jackie's voice intruded. "Come back inside and get warmed up before you catch your death of pneumonia." She disappeared again.

Smiling, hand in hand the Doctor and Rose followed her silently back into the flat.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** This chapter takes place around/after the episode 'The Idiot's Lantern' and may contain minor spoilers for everything up to that episode.

0o0

"Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"How many different faces have you had? Before this one and the last one I mean."

"You've seen one of them in your dreams, yeah?" She nodded. "Weeeeell, I've had seven other faces besides that one."

"Seven?"

"Yup."

"Do you have any pictures?"

"What?"

"Do you have any pictures of your other selves?"

"Uh, no I don't."

"Why not?"

"S'not something Time Lords do, take pictures of their incarnations." He saw a flash of disappointment cross her face. "However, there is another way I could show you my past selves."

"How?"

He pointed to his temple. "In here, in my memories. If you agree to it, I'll share with you my memories of my seven other faces."

"All right."

He extended his hand to touch her temple and before closing his eyes the Doctor asked, "What brought this on? The sudden curiosity about how I looked in the past?"

She shrugged. "Maybe because I had my own face stolen by an alien."

"But I got it back."

"You got it back, yeah. Thank you."

The Doctor closed his eyes.

"You're also the only one I know who can change his face."

He heard the smile in her voice. "Yeah."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimers: **See the first 3 chapters for disclaimers and such.

**AN: **This one might come across a little more wacko than the previous three chapters but it seems I have an idea for a new chapter. This takes place after 'The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit'.

For the purposes of this chapter let's pretend the Doctor didn't show Rose all of his past faces in the previous one.

This is a combination of dialogue and internal thoughts which are indicated with text in _italics_.

Hope you enjoy!

0o0

"Who the blazes are you and how did you get into my TARDIS?"

"This is not the TARDIS!"

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not."

"My dear young lady, I assure you this is indeed the TARDIS."

"All right then if is the TARDIS, then you must be the Doctor."

"Yes, I am the Doctor. But who precisely are you?"

"I'm... I'm someone who knows you in the future, Doctor, and I think I ought not tell you my name. I mean if this version of you were a future version of the two Doctors I know, you'd already know who I am, right?"

"In theory, yes, I should know who you are already if I were a future version of the two versions of me you know. However, it is possible I am a future version of your Doctors since I may have lost or may have had my memories wiped by the Time Lords since then."

_Time Lords? Did he say Time Lords? If he did then this must be one of the Doctor's past self... err selves and if it's a past him then I probably should be careful about what I say to him! Oh wait, he's talking again!_

"I'm sorry would you mind repeating whatcha just said?" _Now he's giving me one of those looks I've seen far too many times on my own Doctor's face but he's smiling too at least._

"I said let's assume for the moment that you are indeed from my personal future rather than my past, which means for the present I will cease asking what your name is."

"Okay."

"If you're from my future my next question is _how_ did you get into my TARDIS?"

"I don't know. One minute I was walking along, on my way to the kitchen to fetch us some tea, yeah, and the next moment you're standing there asking me who I am and how I got into your TARDIS."

"Where was I? Oh confound it you know what I mean! Where was the _future_ version me? What was he doing?"

"Tinkering with the TARDIS?"

"'Tinkering' how precisely?"

"I don't know. I think he said something about replacing some kind of plugs."

"I see."

"You can wipe that look off your face you know."

"I beg your pardon?"

"That impatient look on your face that says you think I'm nothing but a stupid ape. S'not my fault I don't understand _how_ the TARDIS works cos s'not like you've ever told me anything about that! So you can just wipe that look off your face right now!"

"Since you don't know the specifics of what your Doctor was doing that caused you to come her, can you at least tell me if he had taken down the temporal shields?"

"Yeah, I think he did. Do you think that had something to do with it?"

"Yes, I believe it very likely had something to do with it."

"Right, okay then. My next question is this. Doctor, do you know _how_ I can get back home again?"

"First I would suggest you go back the way you came. Perhaps whatever crack in time you stepped through is still open and you simply need to walk back through it."

"I could try but I haven't a clue where I am. You've changed the TARDIS since whenever this is you know."

"If I am right, all you need to do is walk back down the corridor you just came from and you should be returned from to your proper time. You should do so very soon since there is no way to tell when the crack will close, and if it closes while you are still here..."

"Are you saying if it closes I might not be able to get back to my own time?"

"There is that possibility, yes."

"Not even if I tell you where to take me?" _Why isn't he answering that question? _"Oh, I see. There's something wrong with your TARDIS."

The Doctor's silence was the only answer she needed.

"Right then, I'll just try your suggestion then."

"Just walk back the way you came."

"Yeah I will and I hope I see my Doctor again soon."

"As do I."

"Rose! _Rose_!"

Rose opened her eyes, and found her be-speckled Doctor's face looking down at her. Rose quickly took in her surroundings and realized she was in the library instead of the kitchen. "Doctor, is everything all right?"

"I was about to ask you the same question. Didn't you say you were going to the kitchen to make some tea?"

"Yeah, yeah I did. So how did I wind up in the library?"

The Doctor shrugged, and offered his hand to help her get out of the chair she was in. "I dunno. Made a wrong turn perhaps?"

"Yeah, maybe." Rose rubbed her eyes. "So what did you wanna tell me?"

"Only I'm finished and we can hop to wherever or whenever you like."

"Let's be off then."

Halfway to the control Rose asked, "Err, Doctor, at any time did your fashion sense include velvet and lace?"

**FIN**

0o0

**AN 2: **I've never attempted to write any Doctor who came before Nine and I hope I got Three's voice fairly right.

**AN 3:** For Three I'm thinking this takes place sometime during his Earthbound exile imposed by the Time Lords which means he was in the TARDIS tinkering around trying to get her to work again. In others words this takes place between whatever alien/and or Master crises UNIT was involved in at the moment. (Three did run into the Master a lot didn't he? One would think the Master was in exile too the way he kept showing up... but Roger Delgado was my favorite of anyone who has played the Master so I suppose it wasn't such a bad thing).


	5. Chapter 5

Rose put a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle a yawn. Just a few moments ago she'd left the Doctor in the control to do whatever it is he does after she goes off to bed. She could barely keep her eyes open and felt herself almost stumble a few times before she finally reached her room's door. She opened it and stepped inside, and to her surprise found herself not in her room but in a corridor she did not recognize.

Suddenly wide awake Rose groaned and sighed, "Oi! Not again!"

She looked from one end of the hallway to the other, trying to decided whether or not she was even still in the TARDIS. She started to walk towards the end that was closest to her when she heard what sounded like booted footsteps, and the owner of a deep, irritated, and military sounding voice headed in her direction.

She definitely was not in the TARDIS this time, and deciding she did not want to meet whoever owned that voice she ran in the opposition direction. Only one or two doors lined the hallway and after checking the first one to see if it was locked, Rose was relieved when the second gave way and she could slip inside just as two men deep in conversation rounded the corner.

"Blast it, Benton! I thought I said..."

Rose had kept the door open just the tiniest crack so she could watch them pass, and the owner of the voice looked at gruff as he sounded. Although Rose didn't know rank insignia, Rose thought he was probably general of some sort, who was in the middle of verbally reprimanding the poor man walking half a step behind him. Neither of them noticed her thankfully, and Rose waited until she didn't her either of their voices for at least ten seconds. She was just about to open the door again when a voice from behind stopped her.

It was a voice she knew.

"Well, are you coming into the room or going out, Sarah? Either way, please close the door!"

Rose hesitated, unsure what to do. She thought about going back into the hallway before he saw her but then she realized that wouldn't do any good. First of all, she didn't know where or more importantly when she was. Second, what if there were more soldiers out there and what would they do to her if they found her? She was pretty sure she wasn't to be in here, wherever here is.

She must have hesitated too long because the Doctor finally turned around to her. "I said... you're not Sarah Jane."

"'Fraid not, Doctor."

"Confound it, what _are_ you doing back here again?"

Rose crossed her arms, "You tell me! One second I'm going to my room in the TARDIS, and the next I'm in the corridor outside this... wait did you just say Sarah Jane as in Sarah Jane _Smith_?"

"I did indeed. Do you know her?"

Rose nodded, "Yeah I do or should I say I know what would be the future her to you and her. Just like the Doctor I know is the future you to you... that is if I'm really in your past, and this isn't some kind of repeating dream."

"I assure you, Miss..."

"It's probably still not a good idea for me to tell you my name, Doctor."

The Doctor nodded in agreement, "As I was saying, miss, I assure you are really here in from what is your past and what is my future. Tell me how did you arrive here this time?"

"I don't know, Doctor, but I'm beginning to wonder if the TARDIS has some sort of twisted sense of humor cos one second I'm opening my room door on her and then when I step inside, I'm here instead of where I should be!"

"Or perhaps your Doctor was flummoxing around with the temporal shielding again?" the younger but older looking version of the Time Lord suggested.

Rose shrugged, feeling a headache coming on with him complicated this conversation was getting, "Look I'm not a stranger to time travel, so I s'pose that along with the fact I shouldn't tell you my name, Doctor, it's probably a good idea if I don't meet Sarah Jane since that means she'll remember me when she meets along with the older you. Yeah?"

"You are correct, which is why I am going to ask you to step inside the TARDIS until we can figure how you got here and more importantly how to get you home again." As he spoke he gestured towards the familiar police box standing in the corner of the room, and was about to pull out a key to the door when Rose took out hers.

:"I've got it, Doctor," she said and went to unlock the door and stepping inside. As the Doctor came in after her and closed the door she commented, "This definitely is not the TARDIS I know."

"No, I expect not," he replied, and began pushing a few buttons.

Rose watched him for a few moments, smiling to herself as she could recognize her Doctor in this one with a stranger's face. She may have commented on it when a young woman's voice interrupted what she'd been about to say.

"_Doctor?"_

He looked up from what he was doing, glanced at the screen.

"_Doctor, are you here?"_

Looking at Rose again, the Doctor said, "Stay here until I return and do not leave the control room without me. I have little doubt the layout of my TARDIS is very different then the one you know with your Doctor."

"I'll stay put, don't worry," Rose promised.

He looked at her for a time as though he didn't quite believe her, then opened the door, saying quietly, "I'll be back soon."

The Doctor locked the door behind himself, not so much to keep her in as to keep everyone on the other side of the it out. She watched him interact with the younger version of Sarah Jane Smith, and although she knew it wasn't possible it didn't stop her from wishing she could talk to _this_ Sarah Jane herself. Rose knew well the consequences of doing things you shouldn't in the past, had learned it the hard way when she had tried to save her father.

The Doctor was outside with Sarah Jane far longer than he thought he would be as the two men who had been the reason Rose had hidden in this room in the first place came into the Doctor referred to the man who she thought to be a general as _Brigadier_, and Rose wasn't sure what she thought of him, other than he was quite stern and apparently very annoyed with the Doctor right at that moment.

Their conversation went on so long Rose found she was getting sleepy again and since she had promise the Doctor she wouldn't leave the control room, and since there was nothing but the control panels in the room, she found herself curling up into one of the room's corners. She listened to the lull of the voices outside, and let her heavy eyes close, unable to delay her rest any longer.

"Rose?"

She opened her eyes to find her Doctor standing beside her in their control room looking at her with mild concern on his face. She stretched, and looked around, quickly realizing she had been curled up on the captain's seat asleep.

"I thought you were going to bed?" he said.

"Yeah I was, and I even made it as far as my door. Doctor, went I stepped inside I was back in the time where I met the younger you that one other time. Do you remember that by any chance?"

He thought for a second, "No, I don't, sorry."

"Oh don't tell me I was dreaming all that up again! Doctor, while I was there I saw Sarah Jane, and a man you called Brigadier, and another soldier was with him. I think he was a sergeant or something," Rose said.

The Doctor scratched the back of his head, "Was his name Benton?"

"Yes, that's him!"

"Well, just because I don't remember you being there doesn't mean you weren't. After all the Time Lords messed around with my memories a lot during that time and since then before they... but there's a chance you were..."

"Dreaming? How could dream about the people I never met before? Yes, I met Sarah Jane but when she was older. When I saw her just now she was very young!"

"Was she?"

"Yes!"

"If you're really visiting me in the past, we need to figure out why this is happening," he mused.

"Well as I told the other you, maybe the TARDIS has just a really twisted sense of humor anymore."

Before he could reply the lights in the control room blinked noticeably.

"See what I mean?"

**FIN**

**EN: **I may have one more chapter coming after this one but we'll need to wait and see how the writing goes since I'll be attempting to write yet another previous Doctor. _**Hint**_ for you all... he's my all time favorite Doctor ever!


End file.
